Flooding disruption across the network 23/12

[virgintrain1]

How do they retain knowledge from Swindon to Didcot? I'm not aware of an XC train running east of Swindon. I know they sometimes run from Bristol to Swindon then reverse and go via Kemble to Cheltenham.

Booked route refresh days. E.g getting on a GWR for a day out. Also Drivers occasionally swap over empty units at Didcot with a set from Eastleigh for maintenance requirements etc.

 

[Tallguy]

Yep severe flooding between Bicester north and Banbury including into Arley tunnel on the Chiltern mainline leading to severe disruption and some services diverted via oxford.

5 mph running on both lines and services also being suspended for a while also.

Can’t see how that works. If the flooding is between Bicester and Banbury, diverting a train via Oxford won’t do much as the track from Oxford joins the line from MYB to BAN at Bicester......

 

[30907]

Can’t see how that works. If the flooding is between Bicester and Banbury, diverting a train via Oxford won’t do much as the track from Oxford joins the line from MYB to BAN at Bicester......

A Chiltern train can divert via Oxford to avoid Bicester to Aynho.
Different from the XC diversion reported upthread which was to avoid flooding at Blackwell on the Birmingham-Cheltenham-Bristol route.

 

[Tallguy]

A Chiltern train can divert via Oxford to avoid Bicester to Aynho.
Different from the XC diversion reported upthread which was to avoid flooding at Blackwell on the Birmingham-Cheltenham-Bristol route.

Ah yes via Tackley! Although that still brings the train out south of Banbury but possibly beyond the flood affected track.

 

[Bikeman78]

Booked route refresh days. E.g getting on a GWR for a day out. Also Drivers occasionally swap over empty units at Didcot with a set from Eastleigh for maintenance requirements etc.

Thanks.

 

[83G/84D]

Lines closed east of Exeter this afternoon due to rising river levels. It seems likely that it will remain that way for most of Monday.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Conwy Valley appears to have escaped again!

One round trip cancelled due to traincrew issues, though.

 

[RichardKing]

A landslip between Horsham and Dorking has resulted in the line being closed until at least 2 January, according to GTR.

Southern have also experienced other issues caused by the storm, including:
- fallen trees at Cooden Beach, Ore and between Horsham and Three Bridges;
- level crossing problems between Eastbourne and Hastings;
- flooding between Redhill and Tonbridge;
All of the above has now been cleared, however services to/from London Victoria have been suspended until 04:00 tomorrow (Monday 28 December) as a result of a damaged signal, caused by engineering work.

A very troublesome storm for Southern routes.

 

[Paul180]

There has been a landslip between Guildford and Ash I wonder if it was at the same place as was at the beginning of the year the repair look like a temporary fix.

 

[Parallel]

GWR not having a good time at the moment. Also flooding near Freshford blocking both directions. Some trains diverting via Melksham but further delays due to a train striking a deer on the single track. I can’t imagine it will be too long before the Melksham line is flooded as well, that’s usually one of the first to go.

Freshford, Avoncliff and Bradford-on-Avon are currently being served by rail replacement services.

 

[dgl]

1A92 Penzance to Paddington currently on the LSWR/West of England Main Line as the line between Tiverton and Exeter is still closed, only one of a few to go that way.

Edit: Passed me by Crewkerne foot crossing (near the Cathole Bridge Road level crossing) ~10 minutes ago.

 

[father_jack]

GWR not having a good time at the moment. Also flooding near Freshford blocking both directions. Some trains diverting via Melksham but further delays due to a train striking a deer on the single track. I can’t imagine it will be too long before the Melksham line is flooded as well, that’s usually one of the first to go.

Freshford, Avoncliff and Bradford-on-Avon are currently being served by rail replacement services.

Line flooded near Fisher UWC and at Freshford viaduct. Bit worrying that the water was two feet above the closure mark at the latter before the line was closed.

Melksham stoppers cancelled for Portsmouths and Weymouths to divert. No stop orders for Melksham or Chippenham though, which to be honest wouldn't hurt to avoid trying to use local buses and to increase options for towards Swindon.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 28 Dec 2020 ==

1A92 Penzance to Paddington currently on the LSWR/West of England Main Line as the line between Tiverton and Exeter is still closed, only one of a few to go that way.

Diversions via Yeovil were very few and far between today with trains terminating at Taunton and Tiverton Parkway instead.

 

[swt_passenger]

answered already

 

[Parallel]

Line flooded near Fisher UWC and at Freshford viaduct. Bit worrying that the water was two feet above the closure mark at the latter before the line was closed.

Melksham stoppers cancelled for Portsmouths and Weymouths to divert. No stop orders for Melksham or Chippenham though, which to be honest wouldn't hurt to avoid trying to use local buses and to increase options for towards Swindon.

The 17:22 from Bristol to Portsmouth is listed as stopping at Chippenham and Melksham. It was however cancelled between Cardiff Central and Bristol

 

[dgl]

Diversions via Yeovil were very few and far between today with trains terminating at Taunton and Tiverton Parkway instead.

Yes, I saw 1A92 recently passing Crewkerne level crossing (I went down to the foot crossing to see it in the adjacent field).

 

[father_jack]

The 17:22 from Bristol to Portsmouth is listed as stopping at Chippenham and Melksham. It was however cancelled between Cardiff Central and Bristol

Well that fits in reasonably ok for the train that would usually leave Swindon at 1736. Good to see.

 

[VP185]

Lines closed east of Exeter this afternoon due to rising river levels. It seems likely that it will remain that way for most of Monday.

Looking likely it will be closed until at least 1630 Tuesday now

 

[83G/84D]

Yes been a lot of rain today down in the westcountry.

 

[Welshman]

Conwy Valley appears to have escaped again!

One round trip cancelled due to traincrew issues, though.

You spoke too soon!
The line is closed south of North Llanrwst as the Nant y Goran Bridge between Llanrwst and Betws-y-Coed requires urgent repairs following the scouring of its pillars.
Trains are running from Llandudno to North Llanrwst, with Voel Coaches from Rhyl doing the honours from there onwards. [Has Llew Jones no resources for their depot is right at North Llanrwst station?].
According to journey check, the line will be closed until 2200 tonight, but who knows?

 

[Bletchleyite]

You spoke too soon!
The line is closed south of North Llanrwst as the Nant y Goran Bridge between Llanrwst and Betws-y-Coed requires urgent repairs following the scouring of its pillars.
Trains are running from Llandudno to North Llanrwst, with Voel Coaches from Rhyl doing the honours from there onwards. [Has Llew Jones no resources for their depot is right at North Llanrwst station?].
According to journey check, the line will be closed until 2200 tonight, but who knows?

Welcome to 2021...with a Conwy Valley closure!

Must admit that was educational, I didn't even know what bridge scour was:

Bridge scour - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Bridge scour is the removal of sediment such as sand and gravel from around bridge abutments or piers. Scour, caused by swiftly moving water, can scoop out scour holes, compromising the integrity of a structure.[1]

In the United States, bridge scour is one of the three main causes of bridge failure (the others being collision and overloading). It has been estimated that 60% of all bridge failures result from scour and other hydraulic-related causes.[2] It is the most common cause of highway bridge failure in the United States,[3] where 46 of 86 major bridge failures resulted from scour near piers from 1961 to 1976.[4]

 

[swt_passenger]

Welcome to 2021...with a Conwy Valley closure!

Must admit that was educational, I didn't even know what bridge scour was:

Bridge scour - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Two other significant examples of bridge failure due to scour around foundations/piers were at Feltham in 2009 (River Crane), and Lamington (River Clyde) on new year’s eve 2015. Both have detailed RAIB reports.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Was the Glanrhyd Bridge collapse (River Towy, Carmarthenshire) on the Heart of Wales line in October 1987, in which there were sadly four fatalities, also due to bridge scour?

 

[bramling]

Was the Glanrhyd Bridge collapse (River Towy, Carmarthenshire) on the Heart of Wales line in October 1987, in which there were sadly four fatalities, also due to bridge scour?

I think the general conclusion was probably yes. IIRC the damage to the bridge in the incident made it hard to tell conclusively.

 

[swt_passenger]

Was the Glanrhyd Bridge collapse (River Towy, Carmarthenshire) on the Heart of Wales line in October 1987, in which there were sadly four fatalities, also due to bridge scour?

Just glanced through the detailed Lamington viaduct RAIB report, and yes it does discuss Glanryhd as a precursor, para 168:

“A railway viaduct over the River Towy at Glanrhyd, near Llangadog in mid-Wales, collapsed on 19 October 1987. A passenger train fell into the water and the leading carriage was swept away with the loss of four lives. The single track bridge, supported on four intermediate masonry piers failed when a river pier was undermined by scour.
The Inquiry report found that there had been no attempt to find the depth or form of construction of the piers before the bridge was re-decked prior to the accident.”

The Lamington report really shows how difficult it can be to predict this sort of failure, it can be found here:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/583ef6ebed915d0aeb000027/R222016_161114_Lamington_viaduct.pdf

 

[Bald Rick]

Just glanced through the detailed Lamington viaduct RAIB report, and yes it does discuss Glanryhd as a precursor...

And the Ness Viaduct in 1990

 

[Dr Hoo]

And Dalguise (south of Perth) in January 1993 (not helped by some spoil from track works having being 'disposed of' in the river, thus succeeding in diverting the flow towards a critical pier according to a hydrographic surveyor that I subsequently spoke to).

 

[Mcr Warrior]

And the Ness Viaduct in 1990

Wasn't that actually in February 1989, with the re-opening some 15 months later in May 1990?

Anyone remember how many units BR initially had on the far side of the Ness Viaduct breach, and how these trains got serviced? Some more units subsequently had to be moved by road, if I rightly recall.

 

[Bald Rick]

Wasn't that actually in February 1989, with the re-opening some 15 months later in May 1990?

Anyone remember how many units BR initially had on the far side of the Ness Viaduct breach, and how these trains got serviced? Some more units subsequently had to be moved by road, if I rightly recall.

Yes you are quite right.